


In Spirit

by nephilimswitchlight



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Powers, M/M, essentially Medium Barry, sort of Ghost Len
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-12
Updated: 2019-02-14
Packaged: 2019-06-26 12:36:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,673
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15663351
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nephilimswitchlight/pseuds/nephilimswitchlight
Summary: Barry Allen was used to seeing ghosts. It was a relative norm for him. That is until a ghost came to him with the information that he wasn't truly dead and needed Barry's help to save his life.He couldnt say no, not with Len's peircing blue eyes that drew him into the man's dire situation as if he had been caught by a lure. Now he was trying to solve a murder before it even happened, all while attempting to not become even more attracted to his non-corporal companion.





	1. Chapter 1

As long as he could remember, Barry Allen saw ghosts. Not the terrifying horror movie ghosts that were there to haunt him till he died of fright, but lost spirits in need of a way home. He simultaneously loved and hated every second of it.

                Somedays it was hard and emotionally draining. He couldn’t help but feel for these people that were taken from their lives far too soon and without needed closure. Sometimes he wanted to close himself off from them, act as if he couldn’t see or hear their cries for help, but that wasn’t him. He just couldn’t.

                His sister Iris had taken to calling him the dead’s superhero. She teased that she would even give him a superhero code name, specially for his ghost friends. He disagreed. He wasn’t a hero to them, he was just their voice piece, the one who brought them the peace they needed when they couldn’t do it themselves. Iris said that sounded pretty much like a hero to her.

                He knew better than to argue with her about it, she was very stubborn. And maybe he was a hero? Maybe these ghosts saw him as a savior, but he doubted it.

                His opinion began to change that day. Most of the day had been relatively normal. His alarm didn’t go off, he missed the first bus, fell in a water puddle and was incredibly late and uncomfortably wet for work. Captain Singh had just given him an exasperated look and pointed at the stairs.

                He nodded sheepishly and ran up them, determinedly avoiding the eyes of the multiple spirits he passed. One would think working in a police station surrounded by death would be a foolish thing for him to do. His foster dad Joe certainly thought it was. But there was nothing Barry wanted to be more than a forensic scientist.

                The desire was driven by the fact that the first spirits he really remembered speaking to were those of his parents. They had been murdered as he hid in a closet, unable to look away, when he was very young. Despite a living witness, the killer had never been caught. Barry, in all of his barely eight years, had vowed to do so. To bring the case to a close.

                That’s why he became a forensic scientist. He was sure that he could see something all the others hadn’t. That he could find something. So far, he hadn’t had any leads, but he refused to give up.

                Instead he focused on the other cases that came to him, determined to give someone else’s loved ones the closure that he didn’t have. The case he was working on now was a nightmare, and despite feeling guilty for the thought Barry was grateful that the victim’s ghost hadn’t found her way to him yet.

                After a disastrous morning and stressful afternoon, by four he was more than ready for the day to be over despite having three more hours on his shift. He wanted nothing more than to go home and either collapse in bed or spend an hour or more soaking away the days stress with bubbles and bath bombs. He should have known he would never be that lucky.

                He was bent over one of his microscope babies, intently studying a piece of evidence when a drawling voice from behind his shoulder caused him to bolt upright in surprise.

                “You have to help me.”

                He spun around and his eyes widened. Standing before him was seriously the most attractive man he had ever seen. Piercing blue eyes, a strong jaw and defined arms crossed over his chest were the first things he noticed, as if his eyes were pulled to them. He wore simple clothes, sweatpants a long, sleeved dark shirt and his feet were bare. It was that fact, coupled with his sudden appearance that made Barry realize with a pang to his heart that this man was a ghost.

                He gave a soft smile and nodded. “How did you die? Do you know?”

                “Uh-huh Scarlet. I’m not dead.”

                “Scarlet?”

                The man glanced down to the brilliantly red shirt he wore. “Don’t know your name.”

                “Its Barry.” He informed him as he self-consciously played with the hem of his shirt. Then the other then the ghost had said registered with him and he frowned. “What do you mean you aren’t dead? I hate to break it to you friend, but you’re a ghost.”

                “My name is Len.” He informed him brusquely, icy eyes narrowed on him. “And I am _not_ dead. But if you don’t help me I will be.”

                Barry blinked in confusion. “What?”

                Len snorted. “Eloquent. I’m in the hospital, in a coma. My oh so lovely father is keeping me under with poison and its slowly killing me.”

                His eyes widened as he stared at the man. “Are you serious?”

                The ghost, or half ghost, or whatever he was, snorted. “No, I’m making this up for kicks. Of course, I’m serious!” he threw his hands up in exasperation. “Now, will you help me or not?”              

   “How can I help you?” Barry asked, unsure what he could do for this man, how he could possibly help him.

                “I need you to help me prove it. To get him arrested and away from my sister and I.”

                A chance to stop a murderer before he actually committed said murder? Barry instantly felt a strong, undeniable urge to help him, to save this man from a fate he didn’t deserve. First though, he had to make sure that he was truly alive. This wasn’t the first time that a ghost had believed they were still living, but it was for sure the first time they knew they weren’t corporeal and still insisted on life.

                “I would love to help you. Can you, uh, bring me to you? Yourself? Your body. Alive body! Not that I’m saying you’re dead.”

                Len laughed, the sound warm and caused butterflies to flutter in Barry’s stomach. Oh god, he was attracted to a ghost. Beyond attracted. How was this his life?

                “I know what you mean, Scarlet.” He drawled with a smirk. “And that lovely blush brings much more validity to the nickname.”

                His words caused Barry to blush even more, and the other man’s smirk to widen. “So, can you take me?” he asked, trying to will the red to leave his face. It didn’t work. Of course, because Barry’s body loved to betray him.

                “Would love nothing more.” Len remarked and then looked around them. “Can you leave this, whatever this is, now?”

                “This is my job. And unfortunately, no, not for a few more hours.”

                “You work in an attic?” he asked, raising an amused brow.

                “No! This is my lab.”

                “An attic lab. What are you, some sort of mad scientist?”

                “No!” Barry exclaimed again. “I’m a CSI with the CCPD.” He glared at him then. “And don’t dis my lab. I love my lab.”

                He held his hands up placatingly with an amused grin. “No dissing the lab, gotcha. And you’re a badge?”               

  “Well, yes technically. A science badge, but yeah.”

                Len’s grin widened. “Oh, you’re even more perfect. Not only can you see me, but you actually have the know how and ability to assist.”

                “How did you know I could see you?” he asked, genuinely curious. “I mean, before you came here.”

                He shrugged. “The dead talk Barry. What else are they going to do?”

                “About me?” he gasped, eyes wide.

                “I guess they find you interesting.” He looked Barry up and down and then leered. “Not to say that I blame them.”

                Barry blushed fiercely and had to force himself not to turn away. “Okay then. Uh, if you’re planning on staying till seven can you be quiet? I have a lot of work to do.”

                “Don’t worry Scarlet, I’ll leave you be for now. See you soon.”

                With that he disappeared and Barry let out a long exhale. Holy shit. Had that just happened? Had he just met a not totally a ghost and promised to help him stop his father from poisoning him? What even was his life that despite the oddity of it he honestly wasn’t too surprised.

                He knew for sure that it had truly happened when at exactly seven Len reappeared at his elbow. “Punctual. How’d you know that I was off at seven?”

                “You said a few hours. Few is generally three. I took an educated guess.”

                Barry shrugged and tossed his bag over his shoulder. “Oh, smart. Uh, should we go?”

                “Waiting on you Scarlet.”

                He nodded, once again blushing. It was that damn nickname, he swears! Stupid attractive ghosts and their stupid attractive voices.

                He led said ghost out of the precinct, and Len nodded towards the parking lot. “Which ones yours.”

                “Don’t have a car.” Barry replied with a shrug.

                “You don’t have a car?” Len asked, his brow raised with an incredulous look.

                “Cars are expensive. I have student loans and rent and food bills. It makes more sense to just use public transport.”

                “That’s an obnoxious way to travel. Tell you what, you save my life and I’ll buy you a car.”

                “That is not necessary.”

                “Gotta pay you somehow. I give you money and it sounds like you’d just save it or something boring like that.”

                Barry shook his head at him. “You don’t have to pay me Len. I don’t want to help you for the money.”

                “Well, you should. What’s the sense of going through all this effort for free? You have to value your time Barry, or no one else will.”

                Barry gave a noncommitting hum as he dug through his bag and pulled out a Bluetooth ear piece, placing it in his ear after doing so.

                “You making a call?”

                He shook his head. “No, it doesn’t work. I’m just making it so I don’t look like a crazy person.”

                “Smart.”

                “Thank you. Now, where are we going?”

                “Central Memorial Hospital.”

                He nodded and waved down a cab. He clamored inside once it pulled to the curb and rolled his eyes at Len as he appeared beside him. Barry gave the cabbie his destination and then turned to Len.

                “You could just meet me there.”

                “It’s more fun to ride with you.”

                Barry understood that. He had no idea how long the man had been in his coma, but if he had been stuck as a ghost the entire time that he had been, Barry could imagine how the solitude could have gotten old real fast.

                “So, uh, why is your dad doing what you think he is?” he asked the man, carefully wording his question so it wouldn’t bring any alarm to the man driving him.

                “My mom was incredibly wealthy and she left the entire fortune to me when she died. She didn’t want me to grow up with access to the money though, said I needed to learn humility before I could have it. So, I had to go to school, get a degree and begin a career before I was granted any of it. I just did that a year or so ago, and my father wants the money now that I have it.”               

  “But, you’d have to make him the beneficiary. Why would you do that?”

                “He threatened my sister if I didn’t. I wasn’t going to let him hurt her, so I did what he asked. Figured it didn’t matter, I wasn’t going to be dying anytime soon. Really didn’t expect him to do this.” He snorted and shook his head. “I should have though, bastard that he is.”

                “That’s awful.” Barry said softly. “How long ago?”

                “Did he poison me so that I would then fall into an unexplainable coma?” Len asked with an arched brow. “Its been two weeks. I’ve been hovering around Lisa, my sister, pointlessly for what has felt like ages until I heard about you.”

                “Do you know what he’s using?”

                “No idea. I’m a structural engineer, not a chemist. You’ll be able to figure it out though, right?”

                “Doctor’s haven’t?”

                Len shook his head. “They can’t figure out why I am in a coma. At all. I have been perfectly healthy and they say there’s no reason for me to be. So, whatever he’s using, they can’t detect.”

                “And you think I can?” Barry asked, confused as to how he would think so. He had had no idea that Barry was a forensic when he had come to him.

                “Well, at first I thought you could just help the doctors, or anyone really, see that it was happening. Now though, well, I have more a belief that you can actually prove what it is and stop him.”

                “Because I’m a forensic?”               

  “Because you’re smart. You’re resourceful and you’re obviously dedicated. You’re following a half dead man to a hospital on the off chance I’m not just one of those desperate souls that is clinging to the hope of being alive. If anyone can save me, I have no doubt it will be you.”               

  Barry stared at him in shock for a moment before he shook himself out of it. “You don’t even know me.”

                “I know enough Scarlet.”

                They arrived at the hospital then, and Barry hurriedly paid the cabby, taking the opportunity to escape the conversation. Len’s instant faith in him was daunting. It left a heavy filling in his chest that he knew was fear. Fear that he would fail this man.

                “My room is on the second floor. This way.” He told him as they entered the building. Barry followed him silently, keeping his eyes down to once again avoid the surrounding spirits. He faintly wondered how many of them were actually coma patients like Len. Did all coma patients become spirits too, or was Len just special?

                Said spirit turned and halted before a door, nodding his head towards it. Barry pulled the chart from the little holder beside it and gave a small grin. “Leonard Snart? Oh, damn that’s almost as bad as Bartholomew.”

                “Your name is Bartholomew?” Len’s voice was beyond amused and Barry shot him a glare.

                “You literally have no room to talk.” He remarked before pushing the door open and letting out a faint gasp.

                Len’s physical body truly was comatose on the bed, and he looked far sicker than the astral version standing at Barry’s side. His skin was ashen, eyes dark and brow furrowed slightly in a pained expression. The shorn hair had grown out, leaving dark curls to begin to brush his forehead.

                “Oh Len, you look awful.”

                “Gee, thank you. That’s what every man wants to hear.”

                Barry flushed and shook his head. “No, I mean sick. You look sick.” He glanced over to the spirit beside him. “Though I bet you’re happy you aren’t wearing that gown right now.”

                “Oh, absolutely. I’d really rather not have my ass on display.”

                “I wouldn’t mind.” Barry muttered to himself as he sat in the chair at Len’s side.

                “What was that, Barry?”

                “Nothing!” he exclaimed, his cheeks flaring with color. God, he so hoped the man hadn’t actually heard what he had said.

                In an attempt to distract himself he reached out and grabbed the hand resting on the bed before him. It was freezing. “Damn Len, you’re so cold. They should be taking better care of you. Making sure you’re not turning into an icicle.”

                It wasn’t Len’s voice that answered though, and Barry froze. “Who the hell are you!”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry that this one took so long to update! I needed to figure out what direction it should take and plotted out far too many paths. Hope it was worth the wait!

                He slowly turned his head to face a glowering woman. Her bright blue eyes were narrowed dangerously on Barry, beautiful features twisted into a look of pure distrust. She was scary, and he had no idea what to say to her.

                “That’s my sister Lisa.” Len informed him with a proud grin. “Tell her you’re my boyfriend.”

                “What!” he gasped, causing Lisa’s glare to intensify.

                “I said, who the hell are you and why are you holding my brother’s hand?”

                “Just tell her that Scarlet. It’s not a big deal.”

                “Uh, my name is Barry Allen. I’m uhm, I’m Len’s boyfriend.”

                “His boyfriend?” she asked with a skeptical raise of one of her brows as her arms crossed over her chest.

                Barry shot Len a panicked look who sniggered. “Tell her that we kept it secret because of Lewis. My dad.”

                “We didn’t want Lewis to find out. I’ve only come visit him at night when I didn’t think Lewis would show.” He stated firmly and couldn’t help muttering, “Wouldn’t have put it past the bastard to just straight out kill him if he knew.”

                “Excuse me.” Her voice was sharp and Barry couldn’t help the shudder. “Are you insinuating that _Lewis_ is why Lenny is like this?”

                He glanced over at Len who nodded. “She’ll believe you.”

                “Yes.” He said. “Yes, I think he is. There’s been nothing wrong with Len, and he told me that Lewis forced him to make him his benefactor. Its far to convenient of a time for him to just suddenly mysteriously fall sick.”

                “Len told you that?” the skeptical look was back on her face as she approached the bed. “Why wouldn’t he have told me?”

                “Lewis threatened you. He didn’t want you to know, I’m sure you know how protective he is.”

                “I do. I’m surprised you do.”

                “I told you, I’m his boyfriend. He gets pretty protective of me too. That’s why he kept me a secret. He didn’t want Lewis to threaten me also. Said he can barely keep you safe.”

                Lisa sniffled and turned her head to wipe her eyes. “Lenny you stupid man. I can protect myself.” She sat down on the side opposite of Barry and took Len’s other hand. “You should have just told me. We could have ran. You wouldn’t be, wouldn’t be dying if we just _ran.”_

                Barry’s heart broke for the other woman and he glanced behind him at Len, not at all surprised to see the same sort of broken look on his face. “Lisa, I need you to help me prove it.” He said softly. “Prove that Lewis is poisoning him.”

                “How.” She asked looking over to meet his eyes. “How are you going to do that?”

                “I’m a CSI, I have my lab and resources to test for things that none of these doctors are even thinking of.”

                “You work for the police?”

                Barry nodded. “I do, and I want Lewis stopped and Len awake too. Can you help?”

                She nodded determinedly. “What can I do?”

                “I need to take blood samples, but without probable cause I can’t legally take them.”

                “Stay here.” She stood and strode from the room, leaving Barry alone again with Len.

                “Your _boyfriend_.” He hissed at the ghost who just shrugged with an amused grin.

                “She would believe that far more than my disembodied spirit guiding you here.”

                “This is insane. Why did she believe that?”

                He shrugged. “Everything you said was very probable. Lewis doesn’t know I’m gay, I would absolutely keep a boyfriend from him for both his and my safely.”

                “And from your sister?”

                “With Lewis around, probably.”

                Barry didn’t respond, eyes moving from Len’s spirit to his body. He couldn’t help reaching over and lightly brushing the curl off of his forehead. “Why would he do this? How could anyone do this to their own kid?”

                “Lewis isn’t a good man Barry. He’s twisted and dark and poisons everything he touches. If it weren’t for my mother and the money she left me, the _out_ that she left me, I would have likely turned out just the same as him.”

                “No.” he shook his head. “No, I don’t really know you Len, but there is no way you would have. You aren’t a monster.”

                He turned to look back up at Len’s ghost. “No one who loves and protects someone the way you do could ever be a monster like that. Lewis is a monster.”

                Len blinked and his icy eyes turned pained. “You’re right that you don’t know me Barry. You don’t know the choices I’ve faced. The life of crime and theft I almost fell into.”

                “Theft is not murdering your child.” Barry stated simply. “Choices we make shape us, and from what I see you’ve made all the right choices. Not a lot you could say would change my mind.”

                He looked back at the ashen body before him. “You’re a good man Leonard, and I will make sure you wake up and that Lewis _pays._ ”

                “You’re pretty passionate about a guy you literally just met.” Len remarked with an amused drawl to his voice right before Lisa spoke as she entered.

                “You really do care about him, don’t you?”

                “I do.” Barry replied to them both as he turned to face Lisa. “We haven’t been together too long, but I see how amazing he is. I admire how much he loves you, how much he wants away from Lewis and his influence. How he’s made hard choices to live the life he wants.”

                “He’s a good brother.” She said softly, slipping her hand in Len’s again as she handed something towards Barry. “And he’ll be a good boyfriend for you too. I stole these, will they help?”

                He accepted the things she offered and beamed as she saw the blood collection vials. “Thank you, Lisa!”

                He stood and attached them to Len’s IV, stopping the flow of saline in order to pull out blood into each vial. “These will help. So will blocking Lewis from the room, if at all possible.”

                Lisa nodded. “Actually, I can arrange that for the next twenty-four hours at least. The doctors suggested to me that he be left alone for a while, that maybe his body needs to recuperate. I didn’t want to leave his side, but if it will keep him out I will.”

                “Hopefully twenty-four hours is enough. There’s one more thing I will need though.”

                “Anything.”

                “After I run these, if I find something, I’ll take it to my bosses but I’ll have to claim you hired me. I can’t admit a connection to Len.”

                “I understand.”

                “Thank you, Lisa.” He couldn’t resist reaching over and squeezing both her and Len’s joined hands. “We’ll get him back.”

                “No, thank you Barry, for helping to save him. Lenny deserves someone like you.” She squeezed his hand back and he smiled before slipping it from her grasp in order to hand her his phone.

                “Put your number in, I’ll call when I get a result.”

                She accepted the device and quickly did as suggested. “Will it be soon?”

                “I don’t plan on sleeping until I find something.” He assured her. “I’m going to head straight back to my lab and run it now.”

                “Thank you, again.” She said softly before turning away from him to stare sadly back at her brother.

                Barry stood and took one last look at the Snart siblings before quietly leaving the room. Despite his claims of being Len’s boyfriend, he really had no right to the tender moment and felt like an intruder.

                He hated that a large part of him wished that he actually was a part of Len’s life. He didn’t know what it was about the other man, but something drew him to him. Something about the person behind those vibrant blue eyes that even as a ghost had a confident, determined glow to them.

                Everything he had said to Lisa was the truth, despite not knowing him for long, or really at all, he admired the man and would do anything in his power to make sure that Len woke up. He _had_ to wake up.

                His grip on the vials of blood tightened minutely and his pace quickened. He had a lot of work to do in order to keep that promise, and he planned on doing so no matter how long it took him, long day be damned.

                The hours slugged by with no results. It ended up being almost the early hours of the morning when Len materialized beside him.  “You haven’t gone home yet, have you?”

                “I told Lisa I would get right on it. That I wouldn’t sleep.”

                “So you’ll save me even at the detriment to yourself?” He sounded surprised before adding. “You never really answered me at the hospital. You’re having a lot of passion and emotion over a man you really don’t know.”

                “I can’t just be a good person?” Barry asked with a frown as he measured out parts of one of the vials to run through another set of multiple different tests since the first ones had came back inconclusive. “I can’t just care that an innocent man is dying?”

                “Would you care if I wasn’t here?”

                “Yes.” He answered simply. “If Lisa had come to me, if she had actually hired me, I would care just as much.”

                “So, it’s not just because you’re attracted to me?”

                “ _You’re_ the one who went with the boyfriend angle!”

                “So, you’re _not_ attracted to me.”

                Barry groaned and ignored him as he set his machines up to run. As soon as he stepped away from the last one, the ghost laughed and materialized right before him, causing him to take a startled step back. “Jesus! No need to do that.”

                “Should I take that as a yes?” Len raised a questioning brow and Barry had to suppress a whimper at how unfairly attractive the look was.

                “I, yes, you’re incredibly attractive! I however, am a perfectly professional ghost helper and am helping you because I want you to live, not because I want to sleep with you!”

                Len chuckled and backed up through the computer so that the desk separated the two of them. “You’re very easy to rile up Scarlet.”

                “And you’re frustrating.” Barry grumbled, dropping into his desk chair. “What are you going to tell Lisa when you wake up? When I’m just suddenly no longer part of your life.”

                “I’ll probably tell her the truth. If it comes from me, and I give her proof, she’ll believe me.”

                “Ah. Makes sense.”

                “You sound disappointed. Did you want to keep being my fake boyfriend Scarlet?”

                “No!” he absolutely did not squeak, even if his ghostly companion seemed to think so by his laugh. “No, that’s not, no!”

                “Deny it again and I may believe you.”

                Barry glared at him over the top of his computer screen, mouth opening to dispute the man’s cocky remark when the computer itself made a series of dings.

                “That was fast.” He remarked before frowning as he read the screen. Len appeared at his side almost instantly before frowning himself.

                “What does it say?”

                “Len, you aren’t a diabetic, are you?”

                “No.”

                Barry reached out to tap a very high bar on the graph before them. “Well, then I think I found the poison in your system. I can’t believe the doctors didn’t check, but it looks like you’ve been stuck in a hypoglycemic coma. There is way too much insulin in your body.”

                “Lewis brought me in.” Len stated simply.  “They asked him my medical history. He was very adamant that I was not a diabetic, that there wouldn’t be anything wrong with my glucose levels.”

                “And of course, the incompetent doctors at CMH took him at his word. This is why I go to St. Raph’s instead.” Barry muttered crossly.

                “Can I be saved?” Len asked gently and Barry nodded.

                “Oh, absolutely. Just need to make sure that you aren’t getting any more insulin and combat what’s already there.”

                “How long will it take?”

                “Everyone waking up is different. Its hard to say.” Barry pulled out his phone and gave him a reassuring smile. “It will happen though.”

                He called Lisa’s number, her sleepy voice answering after a couple rings. “H’llo?”

                “Lisa, its Barry. Can you get back to the hospital? I think I know how to wake up Len.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading everyone! I would be super happy to hear from you, comments and kudos are the best encouragement.

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first Flash story I've ever written and I hope the idea is as intriguing to you lovely readers as it is to me. Kudos and comments make my day, and I would love to hear what you're thinking so far. Thanks a million for reading!


End file.
